Iāve been wondering what pattern creators want/like in the journals from pattern testers. Iād like to make sure Iām being as helpful as possible when Iām testing and filling out my journal and would definitely appreciate some input on this! 
18 Likes
What I wouldnt like is if someone put the typos of the pattern and the mistakes in the journal part because it can be fixed so I would rather have that part in a private message, and for the journal I just want an honest review of the pattern
18 Likes
That makes sense to me! 
Iām wondering, do you prefer a journal full of lots of pictures during the process with review notes, or do you prefer just to have a picture of the finished product with a general review of the pattern? I donāt want to be annoying with too many pictures if thatās something thatās not wanted lol.
9 Likes
I do not want anything in the journal that gives away any part of the pattern. I see that a lot, along with a list of all the things they would change in the pattern.
14 Likes
I prefer just one phone at the end with an overall review
7 Likes
Thatās good to know! Being new to this platform and the whole journal thing on here, Iāve seen people fill it out both ways and wasnāt sure which was the preferred method from the creatorsā pov. That makes sense, thank you!
7 Likes
Thank you for your input! This has been very helpful for me. Iāve been doing too many photos and now I know to correct that!
7 Likes
Whelpā¦Ive Been Doing My Journaling All Wrong Thenā¦Journaling to me Meant Step-by-Step Pics and Info Re Errors, Ect. I didnt realizeā¦So Sorry Creators!
8 Likes
I like any mistakes and helpful suggestions about pattern alterations in a group testers message or private chat so that the journal makes sense and is correct once the pattern is corrected and published. Its nice to see a picture or some pictures and review of how easy the pattern is to follow. I think thatās fair and useful info for future makers because sometimes youād like to know how much sewing or what the tricky bits could be when assessing if you have the current skills to do a particular pattern. I had one tester doing it all in the journal and marking each one as private as they were fixed, it worked ok, but i found it easier to access if its all in the group chat because then other testers also get to see the benefits before the pattern gets altered.
12 Likes
Isnāt the point of the journal to give the author feedback on the pattern? What else are you supposed to put in there?
6 Likes
For my patterns, I like it when they put what they think about the pattern in the journal like a review kinda, but errors in a private message especially when itās being tested. Because those errors will end up removed and then it would be annoying if those still stay in the journal (because people sometimes look at those when deciding to buy a pattern).
And even if the testing missed some errors and the pattern is public, Iād still say a private message to the designer works best since they can easily fix it rather than looking through the journals (like journal entries apart from the first one donāt give notifications and private messages do)
Also I wouldnāt recommend copying anything from the pattern into the journals since that makes it easier for someone else to copy without buying
For pictures, I actually love seeing journals with lots of step by step pictures or some progress pictures, but most important would be the final picture of the end result because that shows under the pattern. So I usually just ask for at least that final picture in tester calls but I really like looking through the journals that show the progress
11 Likes
I think you could give feedback without putting parts of the pattern there?
Like I usually make amigurumi so like I could write feedback like: the part for sewing the tail worked out really nicely and was well designed
Rather than writing:
Because you put only half a row on the top of the tail, it was really easy to sew on there. So it worked out really nicely
(this is just a really simplified example, and obviously if you really disliked the part you could also write that because thatās fair, not everyone likes everything and the opinions about the pattern in the journals are usually important to me when deciding to buy or not)
Like Iād prefer something similar to the first rather than feedback that shows like the tricks in the pattern (sometimes people even write full lines from the pattern there) that makes it easy to replicate when someone is just reading the journals and not getting the pattern
6 Likes
Iāve been doing the whole part in the journal just like you, nobody ever said anything. I definitely think the creators should specify so we know. I always private the error info and keep the pics after the creator has read it.
I just always used the journal as a kinda running notes log when Iām just doing a pattern by myself and I thought thatās how it was done. Also there have been quite a few tests Iāve done where there was no group private message, so I had to start making it to make the deadline and I didnāt want to DM like 500 notes to a person. I assumed the notes I make in a journal to something that wasnāt released yet couldnāt be seen by anyone other than the creator, so can others actually see it? I figured it was in a kinda private holding zone if it wasnāt released.
anyways, I think it definately should be stated by creator how they want things, specifically cause I dont want to do it wrong if Im trying to help them out. :).
10 Likes
I think @WolfKvB said it very well. I have seen "just finished the (fill in stitch) row and then (fill in stitch ) row in order to make the (fill in part) and that was so clever how it made it like this instead of the way most patterns do it. " That could have been the one special trick that made that personās pattern and makes stand out in comparison to everyone elseās and now itās been given away. It is also not a place to ācorrectā a pattern. āI found this section to be a challenge, since it is very different from the way I normally do itā vs āthe pattern said to do (fill in) but I prefer to do this (fil in) and you should do that instead to make it easierā Yes, I have seen that too many times in journals.
Given the easy messaging and chat functions we have in ribblr, as well as the fact that all patterns are āaliveā and will reflect any edits made in real time across every copy, leaving a correction or negative feedback in a journal should be an absolute last resort.
9 Likes
I think each pattern to be tested should specify, and if not, the tester should ask. Many good points included here already.
When testing,
I try to add one each day, or each section. Then I can remove them with updated photos when I get further.
I now make journals so I can remember how I did them. At the beginning, I add what yarn I used, and what hook size. Itās not always the same as the pattern recommended. I think of them as my notepad. But definitely do not include parts of the pattern.
I tend to add more than just the final photo, because I love looking through them. I donāt think you could add too many. But maybe thatās just me. I do look for journals when looking for a project to make. They do help me decide.
At the end of patterns, there is a line that lets you click all lines. This is helpful when posting final pictures. It shows 100% progress with the picture.
When designing:
I love to see progress photos. If it is a longer test, daily photos or at least section photos help me know how everyone is doing.
I usually check them at the end of the day, and early morning. So any error messages there would get missed until later. Not a good way to share input in a test. If you do share something important to the pattern that you want to remember, be sure to make it private before the pattern goes live, then you have the reminder without giving away the pattern details to others.
I love the group message for testers. If we all share there, you know there is discussion on changes. Your input on the same issue could be very helpful.
It also helps you to know when changes have been made, so as not to confuse your test.
8 Likes
Relying to come back and give my 2 cents when baby isnāt needing my attention
6 Likes
I really am curious about why journals are not created more often. I made a poll, if you want to go vote. I didnāt want to take over this thread, so I made a new one. Hereās the link if you want to. Journals poll
6 Likes
Even when the pattern isnāt published yet, a journal made for it thatās public will be visible to everyone. But making private journal isnāt visible to the designer either
8 Likes
yeah, I also assumed the journals could only be seen by the designer until it was published, until I had one of my testers comment about a pattern another tester was doing that they were not testing. Iām not liking that feature, what if itās something that I have chosen to scrap for now and will come back to later? Now that journal is out there.
9 Likes
Okā¦
As a someone who uses journals to help decide if Iād want a pattern, I like seeing some progress pictures and general notesā¦ Things like ājust finished this section, going wellā or āabout Ā¼ done, but personally struggling with the new-to-me stitchā This letās me know that the pattern is easy or harder than the makerās levelā¦ I also like adding yarn and hook/needle info and if I got gauge (if applicable) ā¦ and at the end adding if it came out to the right size or if it fits as I wanted (sometimes I purposefully make a āwrongā size to get the fit/size I want)ā¦ Additionally, Iāll add emotional markers: maybe at the beginning Iāll say āCanāt wait to see thisā, in the middle maybe āLoving it so farā or āNot what I expected, hopefully Iāll still love the final pieceā and then my final note will include my overall opinionā¦ Since I donāt test anything I donāt personally like the look of, I rarely have a negative emotion attached, but I might have a āugh, I didnāt realize there was seamingā (This is another reason why journals are important to me, sometimes the actual pattern doesnāt say if itās seamed/seamless and I hate seaming)
As a designer, I donāt want problems, typos, or parts of the pattern given away (I donāt want the last one from the purchaser standpoint either)ā¦ I personally ask my testers to post progress pictures in their journal, but to bring any issues/errors to me in a private chat, not the journal. I want people looking at my patterns to have a good idea to base their decision onā¦ Also as a designer I want you to make the pattern as written- no alterationsā¦ especially when I have āspecialā things I need to know that it works, not that you have a different way of doing itā¦ If someone is making the pattern after testing and they switch my special thing for their way, Iād love for them to add a note to the journal (without giving away my special thing) so others can know why they might see a bit of a difference in our finished pieces
9 Likes